ISTANBUL

News photography continues to serve as a guarantee of truth in an era dominated by digital saturation, AI, and misinformation, said the winners of the sports categories at 2025 İstanbul Photo Awards.

İstanbul Photo Awards, organized by Anadolu for its 11th consecutive year, awarded 29 photographers across 10 categories. The selections were made from approximately 22,000 submissions from around the world, a testament to the contest's growing prestige which has attracted entries from more than 20,000 photographers globally since its inception.

Hannah McKay of news agency Reuters was awarded Story Sports 1st Prize for her dynamic coverage of American gymnast Simone Biles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

McKay is a photographer with extensive experience covering major global events, including the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, US Presidential Elections, the Israel-Gaza War, and the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Personal and professional challenge

“I was both nervous and excited to cover Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics,” McKay said, acknowledging the pressure that came with capturing the story of one of the greatest gymnasts in history,” McKay said.

“Simone Biles’ presence at the Paris Olympics was more than just winning—it was about resilience and returning to the world stage,” she added.

Though McKay had limited experience with gymnastics photography, she got prepared, dedicating herself to studying past photographs of the sport.

"It was a challenge that pushed me to become better at photographing this sport,” she said.

Her images were taken from the Field of Play—a unique and challenging position that offered close proximity to the athletes but required careful navigation to avoid interfering with television crews or the athletes themselves.

“Sport is unpredictable. So, a lot came down to reading the situation in real time and ensuring I was in the right place at the right moment,” McKay noted.

‘A single photo can expose the truth’

“News photography is powerful because it captures real moments and emotions, making people feel connected to events around the world. A single photo can expose the truth, inspire action, and even change history. With that power comes responsibility,” McKay underscored.

McKay stressed that while technology had made photojournalism faster and more impactful, it had also created new challenges, as digital tools enhance storytelling but can also raise concerns about accuracy and manipulation.

She was surprised to learn she had won the award and was proud that her sports photography skills were recognized.

Photography as a way of ‘freezing time and truth’

Jerome Brouillet, who won the Single Sports 1st Prize, captured the now-iconic image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina performing a mid-air jump at the Teahupoo spot in Tahiti during the Olympic Games surfing contest, which he was covering for French news agency AFP.

Brouillet described the day as perfect for shooting, with excellent weather and a solid swell.

“Some of us knew that he liked to celebrate his waves, so I expected him to kick out with a celebration,” he said.

Capturing the shot was a challenge for Brouillet, as he had to anticipate Medina's reemergence after disappearing behind the wave, all while working from a boat.

The difficulty of shooting at Teahupoo was further heightened by the long hours, with the event running from 7 AM to 5 PM.

“Of course, I thought this photo might be appreciated, but I never imagined it would go viral like this,” he said.

“This picture is almost unreal in all aspects. Composition, virality on different media and, it changes my life literally. Some people even thought it was a fake one. It’s probably one of the most viewed surf photos in the surf history. This is not a pure surfing picture. And that’s why it talks to anyone,” Brouillet added.

The French photographer, who began his career documenting downhill bike events in France, described photography as a way of “freezing time and truth.”

“In an age of digital saturation, AI and fake news, news photography stands as a guarantee to shoot what’s really happening in the real world,” he noted.

“News photography freezes the world in the history as factual as it is, without storytelling or interpretation. It’s up to the viewer to think about the context, to consider what happened before and after the image. And this is the power of photography, encourage people to ask questions in a world that no longer encourages to do so,” Brouillet further said.

Brouillet said he was surprised over winning the award and added: "I have a lot of respect for the photographer who risk their lives to capture those powerful moments. I am proud to be featured in among my fellow photographers who took pictures in really tough conditions.”

İstanbul Photo Awards has become a cornerstone of global photojournalism, celebrating the art of visual storytelling while shedding light on critical issues worldwide.

This year’s İstanbul Photo Awards contest is supported by Turkcell as the communication sponsor, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) as the overseas event sponsor, and Turkish Airlines as the airline sponsor.

More information on the winning photographs and jury members can be found at istanbulphotoawards.com.